Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to water dispensers commonly referred to as water coolers. More particularly, the present invention relates to water dispensers or water coolers wherein a container of water comprising a substantially rigid water bottle is placed on the top of the water dispenser and water is fed by gravity from the water container above the dispenser into a water reservoir in the dispenser wherein the water is cooled or heated by the dispenser and the cooled or heated water can then be dispensed by a user from the dispenser. The present invention also relates to bag-in-box liquid containers and dispensers for the liquid in such bag-in-box dispensers.
Related Art
Water dispensers, commonly also referred to as water coolers, are currently in common use throughout the world. With such water dispensers, water is supplied to the water dispenser from a substantially rigid, usually five gallon, water bottle made of glass or plastic and having a narrow neck forming the bottle opening. The bottle is inverted (neck and bottle opening facing downwardly) and placed on the top of the dispenser so that water flows by gravity from the bottle opening into a water reservoir in the dispenser where the water is cooled, and in newer water dispensers, a portion of the water is also heated. The cooled or heated water is then dispensed from the dispenser when desired by a user into a cup, glass, or other container for use by the user, usually for drinking. When the water bottle is inverted and placed on top of the water dispenser, the end of the water bottle neck with the bottle opening extends into the water reservoir. The flow of water from the water bottle is generally controlled by controlling flow of air into the bottle so that water flow is stopped by a vacuum created in the inside top of the water bottle as water flows from the bottle and air is prevented from entering the bottle. Air flow into the bottle is generally stopped by water in the reservoir reaching and closing the bottle opening in the reservoir when the reservoir is filled to the desired level set by the position of the opening into the bottle with respect to the reservoir. Cooled and/or heated water is dispensed from the water cooler by one or more user operated discharge valves which, when opened, allow water to flow from the cooled and/or heated water reservoir or reservoirs through the discharge valve or valves. As water is dispensed from the dispenser, the water level in the cooled and/or heated water reservoir goes down below the opening to the bottle and air can enter the bottle to allow additional water to flow from the bottle down into the reservoir until the water in the reservoir again covers the bottle opening to prevent further air flow into the bottle and further water flow from the bottle. This water flow control is based upon the substantial rigidity of the water bottle, i.e., the water bottle holds its shape and does not collapse so that unless air enters the bottle, a vacuum is maintained above the water in the bottle sufficient to prevent water from running out of the bottle. These substantially rigid water bottles are relatively expensive and are generally reusable. Full water bottles are delivered to the site of the water dispenser and empty water bottles are picked up, refilled, and reused.
Bag-in-box container systems have become widely used as packing and shipping containers for a variety of liquid products such as soft drink syrup, milk, and wine. Such systems include a flexible bag or bladder disposed in a cardboard box such as a corrugated cardboard box. The flexible bag can conform to the shape of the inside of the box when filled with a liquid material. The box provides a fixed container shape for the bag and contents and protects the bag and contents during storage and shipping, and, in many instances, provides a holder for the bag during the dispensing of the contents of the bag. The bag will generally include a bag dispensing fitting secured thereto which is used to dispense the contents of the bag from the bag. The bag dispensing fitting can be located at various locations on the bag depending upon the application, such as at the bottom of the bag when positioned in the box when the contents of the bag is to be removed by gravity while the bag remains in the box. In such instance, the box will generally include an area adjacent the bag dispensing fitting which opens to expose the bag dispensing fitting and allow controlled gravity discharge of the contents of the bag. However, the bag does not provide a rigid container for the liquid and the bag collapses within the box when liquid is removed from the bag. Air does not flow into the bag. Such bag-in-box containers are usually relatively inexpensive to make and easy to produce and assemble. Therefore, the bag-in-box container is usually disposable and is disposed of after use rather than being saved and refilled. Bag-in-box containers come in various sizes, with many such containers having a five gallon capacity similar to the five gallon substantially rigid water cooler bottles.
Recently, water has become one of the liquids packaged in bag-in-box containers and water can be dispensed directly from the bottom portion of the bag-in-box container similarly to the way wine and milk is dispensed from such containers. Dispensers are being developed for cooling and heating water from bag-in-box containers of water and for dispensing such cooled and/or heated water, see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,975,879. However, because the bags containing the water are not rigid and collapse as the water is dispensed from the bag, such bag-in-box containers with a flexible bag cannot be directly used with the various water dispensers designed for use with five gallon substantially rigid water bottles.
Adapters for adapting a conventional water cooler for use with a flexible bag full of water rather than a substantially rigid water bottle are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,398,073, 7,331,487, and 8,117,096. These adapters show holders for receiving and holding a flexible bag of water above a water cooler and such holders include a piercing spike in the bottom thereof to pierce the bag as it is dropped into the holder to allow flow of water from the bag through the spike into the water reservoir of the cooler. Such flexible bags are not shown with bag dispensing fittings and no bag dispensing fitting is used in the adapters shown. U.S. Pat. No. 6,398,073 shows a ballcock float valve in the fluid passage from the spike to the reservoir to control the flow of water from the bag into the reservoir and to stop water flow when the level of water in the reservoir reaches a desired level as indicated by the float of the ballcock valve. U.S. Pat. No. 7,331,487 shows a sealed water reservoir with an open vent tube extending upwardly from the reservoir alongside the bag. The vent tube opens to the atmosphere above the top of the bag so that water fills the sealed reservoir and extends up into the vent tube. The water level in the vent tube is equalized with the water level in the bag. U.S. Pat. No. 8,117,096 shows a completely sealed water reservoir formed in the dispenser so that water flows from the bag into the reservoir and out through the dispenser valve. An air vent between the reservoir and the inside of the bag is provided so that air can flow between the sealed reservoir and the inside of the bag to allow water to flow into and substantially fill the sealed reservoir when the bag is initially connected to the reservoir. In this manner, the water cooler reservoir is substantially filled with water so that the water is cooled or heated in the reservoir prior to being dispensed from the dispenser.
The above described bag dispensers all provide bag receiving holders mounted on the top of the water cooler with spikes in the bottom thereof upon which the full water bags are dropped so that the spikes puncture the bottom of the water bag to extend into the water bag to provide fluid communication between the inside of the bag and the fluid reservoir thereby allowing fluid flow from the bag into the reservoir. The spikes are designed so that the bag being punctured seals around the spike to prevent leakage around the spike. While the water filled bags as used in the above described bag dispensers can be packaged and shipped in boxes, if packaged and shipped in boxes, the bags have to be removed from the boxes before used in the water coolers and the large, heavy, and bulky flexible bags full of water have to be removed from the box, lifted above the bag receiving holder mounted on top of the water cooler, and lowered or dropped into the bag receiving holder so that the spikes penetrate the bottom of the bag to allow water to flow into the water cooler reservoir. After use, the empty or almost empty bags have to be retrieved from the bag receiving holder, and if not completely empty, the remaining water from the bag will run into the bag receiving holder when the bag is removed from the spikes and may continuing running as the bag is moved from the holder to its disposal container.